Escape From the Bottom of the Hill
by countrygirluk56
Summary: Sam and Callen are in a car crash which leaves them injured at the bottom of an embankment. Inspired by Windimere Wellen's awesome story At the Bottom of the Hill. This is my vision on how they escape.
1. Chapter 1

**Escape From the Bottom of the Hill**

Summary: This story is inspired by Windimere Wellen's story "At the Bottom of the Hill". It's my vision as to how they escaped from the embankment after the car crash.

A/N: I've tried to contact Windimere Wellen for their approval without success but hope they will enjoy what I have done if they still read NCIS LA FanFiction. I am not claiming "At the Bottom of the Hill" as mine in any shape or form nor am I taking any credit for their original story, which was awesome. I have no intention of finishing the back story of the case the team were working on at the time of the crash. That is Windimere Wellen's story to tell.

Disclaimer: NCIS LA and its characters are owned by CBS, Shane Brennan and the various writers. Thank you for bringing them to life and allowing us to have fun with them. Thanks too goes to Windimere Wellen was writing the incredible story At the Bottom of the Hill.

Chapter 1:

Sam started climbing the steep embankment to the road. The injuries sustained in the crash hampered his progress so his ascent was slow. Half way up he stopped to catch his breath and he looked back at Callen, whom he had left at the bottom of hill, sitting with his back to a tree. It was getting dark but he could clearly see Callen's head was slumped to one side and Sam suspected he had passed out again.

It had been over four hours since the occupants in the other car had fired at them, blowing the front tyre causing the Challenger to veer across both carriageways and down the embankment. Sam had received head and chest injuries, but Callen had fared far worse. He had a bullet in his leg, a broken right arm, a concussion and bruised if not cracked or broken ribs, not to mention numerous lacerations and contusions. Sam wanted to rush back down to him but he knew that Callen had been correct in saying that unless they got help soon, he wouldn't survive much longer. Sam knew that he needed medical attention as well but Callen needed it desperately. All that Sam could do was shout at Callen hoping to wake him up. He was rewarded by Callen raising his good arm in acknowledgement. Satisfied Sam, barely rested, continued to move slowly up the embankment.

Meanwhile back in Ops, Nell had just put the phone down after speaking to the impound yard outside of LA where Callen and Sam were supposed to be, investigating identical Ford Fusions that NCIS believed had been used to smuggle guns and sensitive information out of local Naval bases. Hetty was waiting impatiently, "Well, Miss Jones?"

"They haven't had any visitors at all today and certainly haven't seen Callen or Sam" answered Nell, trying not sound as worried as Hetty and Eric looked.

"They should have been there hours ago" said Hetty, with a hint of worry in her voice. "And there's been no report of any traffic problems on the routes there?"

"No, nothing" said Eric "There's no answer from their cell phones. Both go straight to voicemail."

"What about GPS, on their phones or the car?" asked Hetty.

"I've checked. No signal, nothing. I can't turn them on either, which would suggest they've either been removed – unlikely – or they're damaged."

Assistant Director Owen Granger walked into Ops at that moment and overhead the conversation. "Still no word from Agents Callen or Hanna?"

"No" said Hetty. "I'm worried. Whilst Mr Callen is prone to go lone wolf, he's unlikely to do so when Sam is around. But this visit was routine, nothing pressing. No, I fear something is wrong. Is there any sign of the Challenger, Mr Beale?"

"I'm running it through Kaleidoscope but no hits yet. I'm also checking traffic cams on all routes starting from the time they left; also nothing" he said.

"Wait a minute, Eric, go back" said Nell urgently. Answering Eric's unspoken query, she added "Traffic Cam one – isn't that Sam's Challenger?"

Eric high fived Nell as he confirmed it was indeed Sam's Challenger. "Now we know what route they took, we can access each camera in turn to see what happened."

They watched for 10 minutes before Granger said, "Can we fast forward or something, this will take ages?"

"I can access the traffic cam at the junction where they'd exit roughly about the time they should have gotten there by estimating what speed Sam was doing. If there's no sign then we'll have to back track until we spot them again and hope that if something happened it's where there's a camera" explained Eric.

It was slow progress but with Nell and Eric reviewing two different cameras at the same time they were able to work faster. Finally Eric said, "I've got them again. And look, there's another car tailing them. Even when Sam slowed down, they did too. It's virtually an empty road, there's no reason to do that."

"Unless they're up to no good" said Granger. They kept watching the feeds, swapping to new cameras when necessary. They watched in horror as the other vehicle suddenly sped up to draw alongside Sam's car on the inside and started firing and saw the Challenger lose control and veer violently across both carriageways to disappear down the embankment.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Eric. Nell gasped and Hetty stifled her cry by putting her hand over her mouth. Granger alone remained silent but his face spoke volumes.

"Have there been any reports of an accident?" asked Granger, spurring Nell and Eric into action.

"No, nothing" said Eric "Not on traffic, police or emergency networks."

Nell was extremely worried about Callen and Sam but she was an Analyst and the logical side of her nature took over. "That would explain why they've haven't contacted us and why the GPS is not working; the phones were lost or damaged in the crash as would be car's GPS."

Hetty shot Nell a look but Nell held her nerve. "Hetty, I'm just saying… I'm worried about them as well. Shall I call it in?"

"Yes but I'm going out there" answered Hetty.

Granger knew better than to try and dissuade her. He knew how protective Hetty was of any agent under her care so she would be concerned about Sam but Callen was a different matter; they had known each other a long time. Their relationship was complicated but Hetty thought of him as a son and to Callen she was not just his boss and mentor but also a mother figure.

"Alright, Henrietta, I know I won't change your mind but I'm going with you. As Agent Blye and Detective Deeks aren't available, on your own you may not be in position to help Callen and Sam."

As Kensi and Deeks were undercover working on another aspect of the case, Hetty knew what Granger said made sense, but she didn't have to like it. Hetty grumbled but reluctantly agreed. Getting a SUV from the pool, Granger drove the route that Sam had taken earlier that day. It was dark now and he needed the lights. Back in Ops Nell and Eric tracked their progress and communicated with them via their ear pieces, rather than phone, guiding them to the place where the Challenger had encountered the other vehicle.

By the time Sam reached the top of the embankment, it was dark and he cursed himself for not bringing the Maglite with him but he also knew that Callen needed it. He looked about him and as he suspected this side of the highway showed very little signs of the crash. He wondered if there was anything visible on the opposite carriageway. Sam looked in both directions – the highway was deserted. He cursed himself for waiting too long before taking the decision to climb the embankment. The delay may cost his NCIS partner and friend his life. He didn't regret the decision to get Callen out of the car – it was a necessity in case the car moved further or caught fire though that was not likely as the tank didn't appear to be ruptured. Callen's body would be going into shock by now and although it wasn't particularly cold, wearing only jeans and a T-shirt, he could be showing signs of hyperthermia. Sam felt helpless and knew his thought process and reactions were hampered by his own injuries.

Sam's spirits were lifted when he saw headlights coming towards him. He reached in his pocket and withdrew his NCIS credentials. He stood in the inside lane and waved his hands over his head, to flag them down. Sam cursed as the car changed lanes and sounded its horn as it sped past him. In reality Sam couldn't blame the driver. It could well have been a car-jacking attempt by a big black man who probably looked the worse for wear because of his injuries. However he knew that Callen's life as well as his own depended on someone stopping. Sam was confident that back in Ops Hetty and the wonder twins would be frantically trying to find them but he couldn't rely on them.

When more vehicles drove past and ignored his attempts to stop them, Sam knew he would have to take drastic action. When the next car approached he stood in its path, but this time he pointed his gun at them, thankful that he had the foresight to remove his gun from glove compartment when he had handed Callen his gun. He knew the car might run him down but perhaps the thought of being shot at would mean they would stop. To his relief, the car slowed, stopping front of him.

"Federal Agent" shouted Sam showing the driver his credentials whilst he covered them with his gun. Slowly the driver's door opened and a man got out.

"I wouldn't advise it, Agent Hanna" uttered Granger "Not if you want our help."

Sam lowered his gun and pocketed his badge smiling in relief as he recognised Granger's voice and saw Hetty get out of the passenger's seat.

"Mr Hanna, are you alright? Where's Mr Callen" asked Hetty frantically looking around for Callen.

"I've been better, but Callen's in a bad way. He's still down there" pointing to the bottom of the embankment. "Is help on its way?" he asked urgently as he went on to describe Callen's injuries.

"Yes, we put in a call when we saw what happened on the traffic cameras. Owen and I came straight out to see if we could help."

"Miss Jones, is there an ETA on the EMs" asked Granger via comms.

"Yes, they should be with you any time now" answered Nell.

"Henrietta, stay here and wait with Sam for the EMs. I'll go down & see if I can do anything for Callen" said Granger.

"The hell I will" countered Hetty angrily. "I want to be with my boy."

Sam was protesting too but Granger said "Alright, Henrietta, you win but Sam, you're in no state to go back down there and back up again. You're hurt and exhausted. Wait in the car for the EMs" and seeing that Sam was about to resist, Granger added "And that's an order."

Whilst Sam would move heaven and earth to help Callen, he knew Granger was right. He wasn't well enough nor did he have the energy to climb down the embankment, let alone back up again. As much as he hated to admit it, he would be a hindrance. Hetty had already started down the bank with her bag of tricks using a torch to guide her way. Just as Granger turned to follow her, Sam said "Granger, take this" throwing the car rug from the back seat to him "I think Callen will need it". Granger caught it and nodded his thanks, leaving Sam alone in the SUV anxiously awaiting the arrival of the EMs.

Hetty reached the bottom of the embankment and stared in horror at the state of the Challenger. Looking to her right she saw Callen slumped against the tree and she hurried over to him. Gently touching his neck she felt for a pulse, and was relieved to find one although it was very weak. She was concerned how cold he felt but was relieved to hear a soft moan when she spoke his name. She was assessing his injuries when Granger joined her.

"How is he, Henrietta?" he asked. "Sam gave me this," handing her the rug.

"Not good, Owen. Not good at all. We got here just in time, much longer and we may well have been too late. We should be able to keep him alive until the EMs arrive. That's good, the rug will help raise his core temperature" she added as she wrapped it round Callen with Granger's help. Hetty gently raised Callen's closed eyelids to check for pupil reaction to light. "He's got a concussion at least. Hopefully it's not a fractured skull. Sam did a good job with his arm and his leg considering he had next to nothing to work with. The wound has started bleeding again so I'll have to change the dressing and hope he hasn't picked up blood poisoning from the T-shirt he used. I told Mr Callen ages ago to destroy the filthy thing."

Granger chuckled to himself and watched as Hetty cut away the make shift bandage from Callen's leg. She gently lifted his jeans away from the wound and dampened the cloth where it was stuck to the skin to enable her to cut away the denim and expose the wound. Hetty decided she wasn't going to risk removing the bullet so she just irrigated the wound with saline and cleaned it as best she could before sprinkling an antibiotic powder under the gauze dressing and applying a new bandage. Granger sat next to Callen and cradled his body in attempt to transfer some body heat to his Senior Agent. Hetty was touched by the gesture as Granger was not known for caring and he and Callen did not exactly see eye to eye. Hetty gently touched Callen's neck to check his pulse as well as to see whether he was any warmer.

"Good. His pulse is still weak but he feels a little warmer" she said. Touching his forehead with the back of her hand when she noticed beads of sweat on his brow, she said "Bugger. He feels clammy. He may have a fever which suggests he's got an infection. Where is that EM?"

Back in the SUV, Sam was wondering the same thing. He had found an earwig in the glove compartment and inserted it into his ear and activated the comms. "Nell, Eric. Where the hell is that EM?"

"We've just checked and they are en route" responded Nell. "How are you both?" she asked.

"I've been better, but G's in a bad way. I had to leave him so I don't know if he's deteriorated since I got up to the road. Hetty and Granger are with him. I wouldn't have made it back down. I wish they'd hurry up " said Sam in frustration "What's keeping them?" Just then he saw flashing red and blue lights in the mirror as the EM pulled up behind the stationary vehicle. "They're here. I'll keep you posted" and he cut the comms.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews. I was very nervous posting this story as I didn't know how it was going to be received, being a follow on from another author's story, although it was my take on the events. Here goes with the next chapter. I've done my best to get the medical terminology correct but please excuse any obvious mistakes. Please continue to read and review.

Chapter 2

Gingerly getting out to the SUV, Sam went to greet the EM crew. "I'm a Federal Agent and my partner's down there seriously injured. My bosses are with him. Please hurry!. It don't know how long it's been since we were forced off the road but it was still light. He's got a gash on the side of his head so he's likely to have concussion at least. He's got a broken arm and chest injuries. He may have broken his shoulder as well. I'm not sure about internal injuries though he's wasn't showing any signs. He's got a bullet in his leg" pointing to his own leg to indicate the location "and he's lost a lot of blood. I've done my best to stablise him with what I had to hand. I've also tried to keep him awake but he's been slipping in and out of consciousness. He was in a bad way before. I don't know if he's gotten worse since I've been up here" implored Sam as he directed two paramedics down to where Hetty and Granger were waiting with Callen, whilst the driver attended to his injuries.

Sam briefly told the paramedic what happened. "You're lucky. You've got a concussion and broken ribs. You'll need to go to hospital to get checked over and they'll do x-rays and scans. They'll probably want to keep you in for observation" said the paramedic.

"I'm not leaving without my partner" said Sam defiantly.

"Don't worry, we're gonna wait for them to bring him up before we leave" assured the driver and Sam nodded in acceptance.

The driver tried to get Sam to stay seated in the back of the ambulance but he was too worried about his friend. Sam had patiently accepted the paramedic's examination and care of his lacerations but as soon as he was finished, Sam went and stood overlooking the embankment, anxiously looking for signs that Callen was being brought up.

It didn't take the other two paramedics long to get to the bottom of the hill. As they made their way over to the trio of federal agents, they glanced at the wreckage as they passed and exchanged a glance.

"Hello, I'm Todd and this is Chris. How's he doing?" asked the Senior Paramedic, introducing himself and his colleague.

"I'm Assistant Director Granger, NCIS. This is our Operations Manager, Henrietta Lange and he's Special Agent Callen. His partner, whom you met up by the road, treated his injuries as best he could. Miss Lange's cleaned and redressed his leg as it had started to bleed again but we've not moved him. We wrapped the rug around him and I tried to keep him warm. He's been unconscious since we got here but he's groaned when spoken to or touched."

"His pulse is weak and thready and he feels clammy so he may have a fever" added Hetty, wearily.

"Thanks. His partner gave us a break down on his injuries so let's have a look-see" said Todd moving closer and kneeling down beside Callen.

He took out his pen light, lifted Callen's eye lids one at a time and checked the pupillary light reflex, one simple test to indicate the healthy function of the two cranial nerves: the optic nerve and oculomotor nerve. He was pleased that both pupils constricted in response to the light, which indicated little or no brain damage. Further extensive tests at the hospital would have to be undertaken to ascertain whether there was in fact more serious damage. He then took a closer look at the laceration on the side of Callen's head, cleaned and applied a butterfly stitch before taking his stethoscope and listened to Callen's chest. At the same time, Chris applied a cuff to monitor Callen's blood pressure. He glanced up at his colleague once he had the readings "Todd, BP's low. We need to get him to hospital soon."

Todd nodded his understanding. "Get an IV set up. I've nearly finished assessing him and get Miguel to send the backboard and cradle down. We'll have to carry him up the embankment with the help of a winch."

Chris used the radio to contact his colleague waiting by the ambulance and told him what they required. Miguel responded shortly afterwards saying "Cradle's on its way. Let me know when you're ready to move."

When it had reached the bottom, Chris collected the lightweight cradle and carried it over to where Callen was lying and put it next to him in readiness to transfer him into it.

"Chris, pass me over the neck brace" said Todd. "I don't think he's damaged his neck or back as by all accounts he got out of the car by himself. It's just a precaution" he told Hetty and Granger who were watching anxiously. "You know he's got a concussion at least. Further tests at the hospital will confirm if the skull is fractured or not or if there's a bleed in the brain. He's definitely broken his collarbone and maybe his shoulder blade as well so I'm leaving the make-shift sling in place as it's doing a good job. I can't see any indication of a broken pelvis or that the bullet has broken the bone. Again x-rays will confirm this. I don't know what damage the bullet has done to the muscle, nerves or tendons or whether it's hit an artery so I don't intend to remove it. I'll leave that to the Doctors in ER where they're equipped to deal with any unforeseen occurance. He's got significant bruising to his chest and abdomen, some from the seat belt but others from the car rolling down the hill so it would indicate cracked ribs at least. However I'm not detecting any internal injuries at the moment. He's stable enough that we can move him and get him to hospital."

Hetty and Granger looked relieved and they uttered their thanks as they watched the two paramedics prepare to transfer Callen into the cradle. It was a little tricky as Callen was still sat upright with his back against the tree. With his right side taking the brunt of the injuries, the paramedics were wondering where they could touch him to cause the less pain and discomfort.

Todd turned to Granger. "Sir, we need your help. Take his legs here" indicating an area just above Callen's ankles "and on my count lift him onto the cradle. Ma'am, please come round to the other side of the cradle and hold it steady with one hand and with the other keep the IV from getting tangled when we lift him." Granger and Hetty did as they were instructed.

"Okay, on two. One, two, lift" said Todd as the three men lifted Callen into the cradle.

Callen cried out in pain although he was still unconscious and Hetty spoke soothingly to him in Russian. When he was in the cradle, she took his left hand in hers and gently rubbed her thumb in circles on the back of his hand, which calmed him. Todd gave Callen one last assessment while Chris strapped him in place. Standing either side of the cradle, the paramedics picked it up. Todd called Miguel on the radio "Okay, pull us up but keep it slow. The embankment's steep and very uneven. Stop immediately if one of us shouts."

"Understood. Here we go" said Miguel as he started the winch.

Hetty and Granger made their way up as well, anxiously watching Callen's still body being moved to the ambulance above. Sam was also watching the progress from above. He had been running on adrenaline and now he was feeling the full effects of the accident. He hoped he could stay on his feet until he was transferred to the hospital where he knew he could finally relax as they would both be in good hands.

Half way up Chris missed his footing in the dark and stumbled forward losing his grip on the cradle. Miguel reacted quickly to his yell and stopped the winch whilst Granger, who was close enough, lunged in to grab the cradle to keep it level, although it caused Callen to groan in discomfort.

"You Okay?" asked Todd and Granger in unison.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine" answered Chris who was tentatively putting weight on his right foot, pleased that it held him. "Sorry about that. Thanks" he said to Granger as he resumed his position and they continued to make their slow progress up to the road. The rest of the ascent went without incident and they were greeted by Miguel and Sam. Sam helped steady the cradle whilst Todd and Chris climbed over the crest onto the side of the carriageway as Miguel stopped the winch. They gently laid the cradle on the ground as Miguel brought over the gurney.

Granger helped Hetty over the crest and came to greet Sam. Sam was looking down at his partner and was shocked to see how much paler he was than when he left him. His breathing was shallower as well so much so that his chest was hardly rising and falling. Seeing his concern and that he was about to collapse himself, Granger stepped over to Sam and took him by the arm to steady him. "Callen's going to be fine, Sam."

Surprised out of his thoughts, Sam looked at Granger and said "I hope so. I felt so helpless. Still do. Couldn't call for help as Callen's phone was destroyed by a bullet. Mine was lost. I couldn't get to the first aid kit but it was completely destroyed anyway." Sam shook his head sadly.

"You did a good job patching him up. You knew we'd be searching for you, Mr Hanna" added Hetty, trying to give her agent reassurance that she did not feel.

"I know but I couldn't rely on it. G's life was at stake. As it is I left it too long before moving but I didn't want to leave him alone. SEAL training drills it into you so that it's second nature. Stick together, you're safer in pairs. Don't leave anyone behind. But he was right, I had to leave him if he was to survive. Even though he was seriously hurt he was still thinking clearer than I was."

"But you're hurt as well, Sam" said Granger.

"Yeah but not as bad as G. He took the brunt of the gun fire and the crash. He was lucky not to be killed. When I came to and looked at him, I thought he was dead. He was so still and quiet. And at first I couldn't see him breathing. That scared the hell out of me but he groaned and told me to stop shouting as his head hurt."

Hetty and Granger chuckled and Sam continued. "I'll get him back for scaring me like that and getting himself hurt. And do you know how sanctimonious he can be when he's proven right!" Sam said indignantly.

Hetty shook her head and smiled at the black gallows humour agents, commonly the men, used to alleviate a dangerous situation or make light of a life threatening experience.

"It's alright now, Sam" said Hetty gently taking his hand. "He's going to be fine, as are you. Now I think the paramedics are ready to leave. You'd better go with them" she added. Seeing Sam hesitate and start to protest, she continued "Thank you, Sam, for your consideration. Whist I'd love to be with Mr Callen, you're the one who needs to go with them and get your injuries seen to. We'll meet you at the hospital. Now, go!"

Sam hugged Hetty and shook Granger's hand in thanks before wearily climbing into the ambulance. Granger and Hetty had a glimpse Sam sitting next to Callen and taking his left hand in his before Miguel slammed the rear doors. He told them which hospital they were going to and climbed into the driver's seat and sped away, lights flashing.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and encouragement for this story. I think there will only be one more chapter. However please let me know if you want me to continue with the story in some form or other. I'm open to suggestions.

A/N 2: I have removed my original Chapter 3 and re-posted it as I noticed a mistake I'd made when I re-read Windimere Wellen's At the Bottom of the Hill for research for further chapters following a comment, and challenge, from Orangetails. Apologies to those who had previously read this chapter but hope this revised version is as good if not better.

Chapter 3

Hetty stood and watched the ambulance speed away and jumped a little when Granger put his hand on her shoulder and said "Come on, Henrietta, we should be going."

Turning towards him, Granger was a little surprised to see her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "They're going to be fine, Henrietta." She nodded, not trusting her voice. "You're not going soft on me, are you?" said Granger in an attempt to raise her spirits.

He knew she was a tough cookie and was ruthless when she had to be. In her role as Operations Manager it was her duty to send those in her care into danger and he knew she worried constantly that one day they would not all come back. He also knew that in the past, a few of those agents had been killed in the line of duty and she did not take the news very well although she rarely let anyone see the heart-breaking emotion she felt when something bad happened. He had worked closely with the legend that is Henrietta Lange for many years when they were both CIA as well as now in NCIS. He had been party to both her ruthlessness as well as her tender side. He also knew Callen was one of the few people she had let into that aspect of her life, although until recently it had been kept a secret from the others. He also knew her relationship with Callen had been strained lately so she would have put more pressure on herself once it became apparent that he and Sam were missing because of the guilt she felt. She also would be trying to appear in total control so that the other members of the team did not lose focus and worry about her rather than concentrating on their jobs. It was all taking a toll on her and Granger could see the façade crumbling.

"Henrietta, this is **not** your fault. Both Callen and Sam are grown men and excellent agents to boot. They know exactly what they're doing and what the risks are. Henrietta, shit happens. I know you're worried about them both. I am as well, but they're going to be fine. We've just got to figure out whether this had something to do with this case, something from their past or just an ad hoc attack."

Hetty looked up at Granger and wiped her eyes. "Of course, you're right, Owen. I'm not going to help either of them moping around like this. Let's go to the hospital and check on them. But we must warn Miss Blye and Detective Deeks in case it's related to this case. If so, they may be in danger as well. Miss Jones and Mr Beale can start looking for possible connections, once we have updated them of Mr Callen's and Mr Hanna's condition."

Granger's expression shifted imperceptively to what the team called 'his happy face' and inwardly smiled at Hetty's changed demeanour. He got in behind the steering wheel of the SUV and waited for Hetty to climb in beside him before driving off to the hospital. En route Hetty contacted Ops and updated Nell and Eric about Callen and Sam before asking them to get a team down to the crash site to remove the wreckage of the Challenger as well as any debris left in its wake and to get it back to the mission for analysis. She also asked for Kensi and Deeks to be informed of the situation and asked them to come to the hospital as soon as they were able.

The journey to the hospital was uneventful and the EMTs transferred their patients to ER updating the trauma team of Callen's injuries and stats. As Callen was the more seriously injured of the two, Sam was happy to wait until an ER doctor was free to see him. Sam turned to EMT crew before they left and thanked them for all they had done, shaking their hands in turn before turning to enter the trauma room where Callen had been taken. He was stopped by a nurse who told him "I'm sorry you can't come in here."

"I'm a Federal Agent and he's my partner. Our accident could be in connection with a current or old case and until it's determined to the contrary, he's still be in danger. I'm not leaving" stated Sam. The nurse, who was usually adept at dealing with difficult patients and relatives, visibly paled under Sam's glare.

At a nod of consent from the trauma doctor, who had overheard the conversation whilst assessing Callen, the nurse let Sam enter and returned to her tasks thankful to be away from the intimidating agent. "Thank you Doctor. How is he?" said Sam looking at Callen who was now on various monitors, which were bleeping reassuringly in the background. He also had an IV delivering blood rather than saline into his veins.

"Still checking him over. As he's lost a lot of blood, we're giving him a transfusion as well as antibiotics intravenously but his stats are steady though a little on the low side. From looking at you I assume you were in the same crash?" Sam nodded. "Look, sit down before you fall down. Tell me everything that happened. How long he was unconscious, anything that might help us. Oh what's his name?" said the Doctor as Sam sat down in the chair indicated.

"Grisha Callen, though he answers to G or Callen. I'm Sam Hanna, his partner" said Sam as he started to tell the Doctor everything that happened in the exact order it occurred. He tried not to leave anything out and answered the Doctor's specific questions following something Sam had mentioned. "I'm his medical proxy or one of them. I've got a USB drive which has his medical history but I must've lost it in the crash. My boss should be here soon, she'll have one."

"That'll be useful, Mr Hanna" said the Dr White.

"Call me Sam."

"Okay, Sam, he's stable at the moment but needs a CT scan to assess his head injury. After that, if all is well, he'll go to x-ray to check exactly where the bullet is lodged so we can remove it. Let me have a quick look at you and you can go with him as I sense you're not going to leave his side." When Sam nodded in confirmation the Doctor said "You can go and get a scan and x-rays as well when he does."

Shortly Hetty and Granger arrived at the Emergency Department and were shown into the trauma room. The Doctor introduced himself "I'm Dr White. Mr Callen's stable and has just gone down to have a CT scan to ascertain how bad his head injury is. If that's all good then he'll go to x-ray so we can see where the bullet is and learn the extent of his other breaks. Sam's gone with him. He'll need a scan and x-rays too. He says one of you is Mr Callen's medical proxy and you'll have a USB with his medical history? He's lost his apparently."

"Yes, that's me" said Hetty as she retrieved the thumb drive from her purse and handed it to the Doctor.

"Thanks. This'll be very useful" he said as he handed it to a colleague "Pull the notes up from this please."

Whilst the Doctor was waiting for the notes to appear, Hetty phoned Nell in Ops. "Miss Jones, ask the team to look for a USB drive either in the car or down the bank. It contains the medical history of Mr Callen so it's imperative that we find it."

When the details were displayed on the screen of the pc nearby the Doctor said "Let's see what we've got. Interesting" he muttered as he read through the notes.

Turning to Hetty Dr White said "This'll be extremely useful in treating him. He's been in the wars I see. I take it his job as a Federal Agent is very dangerous." It was a statement and he didn't expect an answer so Hetty did not respond but Granger said "His status and that of Agent Hanna are classified. We'll have to seal your records."

Dr White raised his eyebrows at the remark but said "Understood. I guess guys like these go widely unnoticed and unthanked but the people of Los Angeles owe them much."

Hetty smiled as Granger said "I wouldn't say 'unnoticed'. In their job chaos and carnage normally follows them around. But yes, we do our best to catch the bad guys and keep the folks of LA safe."

Just then an orderly wheeled Callen back into the trauma room with Sam walking by the side of the gurney and handed Dr White the CT scan reports and the x-rays. Dr White read the reports and nodded to himself before putting them down. Placing Callen's x-rays on the light box on the wall, Dr White and his colleagues studied them. There were four in all: one of his right thigh which showed the bullet, another showed his broken arm, another showed the breaks in his collarbone and shoulder blade whilst the last was of his ribs. Before turning to the NCIS agents, the x-ray of Sam's ribs was looked at as well.

"OK. Sam, your CT scan is clear although you've got a slight concussion. You've also got a couple of broken ribs so I'll admit you for observation though I doubt you'll leave here until we've finished with Mr Callen?"

Sam was defiant and shook his head and weathered the glares from Granger and Hetty.

"So be it" said Dr White. "Okay, Mr Callen's CT scan indicate that there's a small cerebral hemorrhage, that is a small bleed on the brain. These normally stop on their own without the need for treatment and cause no permanent damage but we need to keep a close eye on it in case it develops into a more dangerous condition. The bleeding will be monitored by measuring intracranial pressure and by repeated head CT scans." Seeing their reaction to the news, the Doctor continued. "He's in the best place right now and we'll be able to react quickly if his condition deteriorates. On the bright side, none of his breaks are complicated so we're deal with them in theatre after we've retrieved the bullet, where it's lodged against the bone here" indicating the spot on the x-ray to the others. "Thankfully the damage has been lessened as the velocity of the bullet was decreased by having pierced the door first. However it'll be safer to remove it in theatre where we'll be in a better environment to cope with complications if any arise. I'm arranging to get him transferred now."

Hetty was unable to speak but Granger said "Thank you Doctor for being so frank. It's appreciated. Please keep us appraised of his condition."

Callen was transferred to surgery where the bullet was removed without incident. The muscle was stitched as was the entry wound in his thigh. The surgeon noticed a huge bruise at the top of the thigh in the area of the hip joint and made a mental note to look again at the x-rays to check for further damage, although he was hopeful no bone damage had occurred. The patient would know all about it though as it would be very painful. Whilst he was under anaesthetic, Callen's broken bones were aligned and set where possible after which he was moved to the recovery room before being transferred to a private room. The room, especially organised by Dr White at the Hetty's request, was located at the end of the corridor where it could be defended easily and had two beds, one for Callen and the other for Sam, who would probably be discharged the following day, but would likely want to stay with this partner and friend.

When Callen was wheeled into the room, Sam was in bed, having been reluctantly subjected to a check-up by a nurse who had then attached some monitors to him. He was physically and mentally exhausted. Kensi and Deeks, who had arrived after Callen had been taken to surgery, were chatting to Hetty, Granger and Sam. They all stopped talking and anxiously looked over to their colleague, who was still unconscious. Kensi gasped at the sight of her team leader and friend and Deeks was shocked by his condition. They had seen him injured before but he looked so pale and still and the cuts and bruises on his face and the dark rings under his eyes only accentuated his paleness. He also looked helpless lying unconscious with IV drips, tubes and monitors attached to him. Dr White entered shortly afterwards and all attention turned to him.

"Ah Sam, I'm glad to see you've been admitted. Whilst I'm confident that the head injury is purely concussion and you'll feel no side effects from it, it's better to be on the safe side. From the look of you, you could do with the enforced rest" he said.

"Thank you, Doctor" said Hetty "I've been telling him the same thing but he's almost as stubborn as Mr Callen in that respect." Sam rolled his eyes which did not go unnoticed by Hetty or the others. He also knew that if Callen had not been in the condition he was, he would have been on receiving end of a sarcastic quip.

Dr White smiled at the exchange and started to update them on Callen's condition. "The op went well and the bullet was removed without incident. Here it is as requested" handing Hetty the bullet in a plastic evidence bag. "Whilst he was under we set the breaks we could. I saw from his medical history that he can have adverse reactions to sedatives. I've prescribed a mild sedative, a brand which isn't mentioned in his history so I hope he can tolerate it. It'll help him sleep and will aid his recovery if he gets as much rest as possible, giving his wounds time to heal. I'll ensure the nursing staff keep a close eye on him in case he reacts badly to the meds. We'll have to do another CT scan to check if the bleed is getting worse but that can wait till later tomorrow. He'll be checked every two hours but if there's a change in his stats the monitors will alert us."

"Thank you, Dr. It may seem unconventional but can you please provide us with the names of the medical staff who will be attending to him. In our line of business, we make enemies and it isn't beyond the realms of possibility for those enemies to infiltrate a hospital to get to a target. We have to assume that the accident was a deliberate attempt to kill Agents Callen and Hanna so until it can be proven otherwise, they'll need our protection. We'll also do our utmost to keep your medical staff safe as well" said Granger.

If Dr White was taken aback by the request, he did not show it but answered "Of course. I'll get them to you right away." Dr White returned shortly advising that a colleague was compiling the information and it would be with them in a few minutes. As promised a nurse came to Dr White and handed him an envelope which contained the information they needed and included photos of the medical staff assigned to care for the Agents.

"Here you are. I've left instructions that you're to be advised of any changes to the staff assigned to this care detail."

"Thank you, Dr" said Hetty. "You've been very patient and accommodating with this strange request. We trust that it's just precautionary and that nothing will happen but as we've said, in our line of work we can't be too careful and it is our duty not only to protect our Agents but also any civilians as well. Whilst Mr Callen and Mr Hanna are otherwise out of action, I'm afraid other Agents will be posted to guard them. We will of course be as unobtrusive as possible and try not to disrupt the work of your staff."

"I understand. This isn't the first time we've had law enforcement officers, criminals, politicians or celebrities under guard here. It's LA after all" he said totally non-plussed by the situation.

"We've kept you long enough. You must have other patients to see. Now I must leave" said Granger as he shook Dr White's hand. "Thank you for your co-operation" and after nodding at his NCIS colleagues Granger turned to leave.

Giving Callen a final check, Dr White said "He's stable and resting. Do not hesitate to call me or one of my staff if you're worried. I'll be by tomorrow, or rather later today, to check on him again. Sam, you should be fit enough to be discharged tomorrow but I'll check on you as well." With thank yous and handshakes all round, Dr White left to go about his duties, leaving Hetty, Kensi and Deeks to watch over Callen and Sam. Sam soon fell into a deep sleep, fatigue finally winning.

Back in Ops Nell and Eric were running down leads that they'd discovered about the other vehicle whilst waiting for the Challenger to be brought in. Nell had also gone to the garage where the Challenger and all the debris from the accidental had been taken. Both phones had been recovered and thankfully the USB stick had been found as well and she brought them back to Ops for safe keeping. Nell has shuddered when she had first seen Callen's phone and the damaged caused by the bullet which was still embedded in it. She knew Callen usually carried it in the right front pocket of his jeans and could only imagine the amount of damage the bullet would have done if it had not hit the phone first. Eric experienced a similar feeling when he saw it as well.

The phone rang and made the pair jump. "Hetty! How are Callen and Sam?" asked Nell, bringing her whirling thoughts back to the present as she answered the phone.

"Sam's being kept in for observation but otherwise is well but exhausted. He's sleeping now. Mr Callen has been in surgery to have the bullet removed which Assistant Director Granger will give you to analyse on his return to Ops. Mr Callen's condition is serious but stable but not thought to be life-threatening. However he's being kept under a light sedation. He'll have another scan tomorrow, I mean later today, to assess whether his head injury is deteriorating. The scan indicated a small bleed on the brain. Kensi, Mr Deeks and myself will be staying here as protection until we can determine whether this is indeed related to our current case or a cold case or was just an ad hoc attack. Now what news do you have?"

"The Challenger and all the wreckage have been brought to the garage here as requested. I've not started analysing any of it yet but I gave everything a once over and have recovered the USB drive and their phones. Callen's is damaged beyond repair. It took a direct hit from a bullet, which was still in it, and probably saved Callen from further serious injury. Sam's is smashed but it could be fixed. Certainly we'll be able to retrieve data from Sam's, although I'm not sure if Eric will be able to get anything off Callen's but we have the bullet for analysis as well as the one Assistant Director Granger is bringing" explained Nell.

The call was on speaker phone and Nell and Eric heard faint intakes of breath when she mentioned Callen's phone being hit by a bullet. Hetty and Granger, and of course Sam, knew that the passenger side had been peppered by gunshots but Kensi and Deeks had yet to be fully updated about the crash and how it happened. However no-one but Callen and Sam had known about the bullet hitting the phone and they shuddered at the thought of the injury that Callen would have suffered had the phone not stopped its passage. The vision of a bullet in the hip and possibly nicking or severing the femoral artery came to their minds and they knew the outcome could have been so different. Hetty quickly brought her emotions under control and spoke to Nell.

"Thank you Miss Jones. Please start your analysis as soon as possible and let me know everything you find, however insignificant" said Hetty. As they were on speaker phone back in Ops Hetty continued to speak. "Mr Beale, please look at the footage again and see if you glean any useful information from it. Again if you find something let me know."

"Will do Hetty" answered Nell.

"On it" said Eric.

"Hetty?" said Nell.

"Yes, Miss Jones, what is it?" asked Hetty.

"I know Sam's hurt too but Callen will be okay, won't he?" Nell asked in a quiet voice.

There was a slight pause before Hetty answered. "I believe so, my dear, but all we can do it wait and pray and give him our support." Hetty heard a snifle as Nell struggled to get her emotions under control. "We can best help them both by finding out who did this."

"Yes m'am" said Nell as the call was disconnected.

Hetty, Kensi and Deeks settled down in silence to watch over their fallen comrades.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: _Thanks to all who have read and reviewed and are following this story. Your comments mean a lot to me._

Chapter 4

The rest of the night passed uneventfully for Sam and Callen as Callen was not plagued by nightmares. Sam woke to find Hetty sitting on a chair between the two beds, holding Callen's left hand and Kensi in another chair on the other side of his bed.

"Hi Sam. Glad to see you're awake" said Kensi getting up and placing a kiss on his cheek. Sam smiled at her.

"Good morning, Mr Hanna" said Hetty. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Better. I think I slept well and, apart from some discomfort from my ribs, and general aches and pains from the crash, everything's good" Sam responded. He looked over at this friend and partner who was still asleep. Sam thought he still looked extremely pale and a shudder ran through him as he thought of the events that led them to be in hospital. "How is he?" asked Sam.

"Resting peacefully" answered Hetty. "You were both injured and exhausted. You both slept right through the night and neither of you stirred at all" said Hetty.

"What? You've both been here all night?" asked Sam.

"And Deeks" added Kensi. "He's just gone to get us drinks."

"Where else would you expect us to be Mr Hanna?" asked Hetty a little miffed that Sam thought they would not be watching over them.

Looking a little shame faced Sam said "Err, I don't know. I thought perhaps you'd either be at home or in OPS."

"We still don't know why you were fired at and forced off the road. Until we know more, you're both under protective custody. Mr Callen certainly can't defend himself in his current condition and you should take it easy as well. However I know that you're almost as stubborn as he is in that regard."

At that moment, Deeks entered with a tray of drinks and set it on the table that straddled the foot of the bed. Taking in the scene, he sat down next to Kensi and said with a grin "Hey, Papa Bear's awake and growling. Ouch! What was that for?" as Kensi punched him in the arm.

Sam rolled his eyes and Hetty tried to suppress her smile.

"Keep your voice down, Deeks, you don't want to disturb Callen" said Kensi, looking over at Callen checking whether he had stirred.

"Oops. Sorry. Good morning, Sam" said Deeks in a quieter voice. "How ya feeling?"

"Well Mr Deeks, we were just discussing that when you entered" said Hetty.

"I'm feeling a lot better, Deeks" said Sam. "Thank you for asking."

"Great. Hey, sorry man I didn't get you a drink. You weren't awake when I left but you can have mine if you want" said Deeks.

"It's fine" said Sam. "I'll have something later on but thanks for offering."

It was not long before Dr White came to check on his patients.

"Good morning, everyone and how are my patients?" he asked picking up the chart from Sam's bed and reading it. "I see nothing untoward happened during the night" he added replacing the chart.

"I'm better thanks Doc" said Sam. "My friends say I slept through the night without stirring."

"Good. Just what the doctor ordered" said Dr White with a grin. "What about Mr Callen?" he asked picking up Callen's chart.

"He rested peacefully all night as well" said Hetty.

"Not plagued by nightmares?" asked Dr White.

"Thankfully no" said Hetty.

"Good, he's reacting well to the sedatives" said the doctor, making a note on Callen's chart. "Let me examine him so I can assess whether he's improving."

"Do you need us to leave?" asked Hetty.

"No you're fine where you are" said Dr White as he started his examination. He looked at the monitors which show Callen's blood pressure, blood gases and heart rate and noted that they were all within the acceptable range. Next he lifted Callen's eye lids one at a time checking his pupil reaction to light. He listened to Callen's chest and then performed an abdominal examination. Finally lifting the bed clothes away from Callen's right leg, he looked at the bullet wound. After each exam, Dr White wrote on the chart aware of the anxious looks of the others in the room.

"Okay, now it's your turn Sam" said the doctor. Once Sam's examination was over the Doctor said. "I'm going to discharge you although I don't want you to leave until this afternoon. You'll benefit from some more rest" he said.

"Thank you Doc" said Sam.

"You may discharge him" said Hetty "but I assure you he won't leave the hospital or even this room." Dr White looked confused. "Not while Mr Callen is still here" added Hetty.

"Too right" said Sam vehemently. "As long as he's here, that's where I'll be. How's he doing?" asked Sam.

"He's doing extremely well. All his stats are within the acceptable range. I want to do another CT scan to check on the cerebral bleed" said Dr White.

"What about the intracranial monitoring you mentioned yesterday?" asked Hetty.

"I only want to do that if the scan shows the bleed's gotten worse" answered Dr White.

"Why?" asked Hetty.

"The procedure is invasive and the risks are high as with any surgery" replied Dr White.

"How are the tests performed? Please explain" said Hetty in a matter of fact manner which belied the emotion she was actually feeling.

"Well, there are three ways to monitor pressure in the skull." Dr White paused and looked carefully at Hetty and the others in the room before continuing. "An intraventricular catheter, which is the most accurate monitoring method, requires a hole to be drilled through the skull to insert the catheter through the brain into the lateral ventricle. This is the area of the brain that contains liquid, namely the cerebrospinal fluid or CSF, and protects the brain and spinal cord. The intracranial pressure or ICP can be adjusted by draining fluid out through the catheter at the same time as monitoring the pressure. The risk is that catheter may be hard to get into place when the intracranial pressure is high." He paused to let them digest the information before continuing.

"The Subdural Screw method, whereby a hollow screw is inserted through a hole drilled in the skull, is used if monitoring needs to be done right away. It's placed through the membrane that protects the brain and spinal cord (dura mater) and allows the sensor to record from inside the subdural space. This would've been considered at the time Mr Callen was in surgery and, as it wasn't done, was deemed to be unnecessary." The doctor heard a small sigh escape from Hetty.

He continued. "The third method is an epidural sensor, which is inserted between the skull and dural tissue and placed through a hole drilled in the skull. This procedure is less invasive than other methods, but it cannot remove excess CSF" Dr White concluded.

There was silence in the room until Hetty said "Thank you Doctor for being so thorough with your explanation. What are the chances that Mr Callen will have to undergo one of these procedures?"

"I'm hoping it won't be necessary at all. However if his condition deteriorates significantly to warrant it, the only viable method will be the intraventricular catheter" he answered. "Let's not worry about it unnecessarily. The CT scans will give me plenty of warning if the bleed is getting worse. I'll arrange for a scan to be done shortly so we'll have an indication how Mr Callen's head injury is progressing."

Hetty nodded. "Thank you for being so frank. Will you kindly inform us as soon as you have the results?" she asked.

"Of course. I'll let you know the scheduled time for the scan" Dr White promised.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I apologise for the delay in updating this story but I've three stories on the go at the moment and I'm trying to work on them in turn. However thank you to all who are continuing to read and review. You comments are most welcome and mean so much to me._

Chapter 5

After Dr White left the room to go about his duties, Hetty picked up her phone and pressed the number for Ops she had on speed-dial and much to her surprise it was Assistant Director Granger who answered.

"Owen, I apologise for not phoning earlier to apprise you of their condition" stated Hetty. "Mr Callen is stable although they're keeping him lightly sedated. They don't believe he's in any danger medically but are keeping an eye on a cerebral bleed" she explained and heard a sharp intake of breath from Granger. Hetty quickly continued. "They believe it'll stop on its own but they're preparing another scan shortly to monitor its progress. Sam's been given a bed in the same room as Callen and he'll be discharged later today. However I very much doubt that he'll leave the hospital or indeed Mr Callen's side. Miss Blye and Mr Deeks stayed with me during the night but I'll send them home to get some rest before they go into the office."

"That's good news. I'm glad Sam is not seriously injured and will be discharged. I must admit I was concerned when I saw Callen. It's a relief to know that he should make a full recovery" answered Granger.

"Yes indeed it is" said Hetty, relief evident in her voice although Granger knew she was still worried. "Until we discover why they were shot at and forced off the road, we need to protect them. I need agents positioned outside the hospital entrances as well as outside the room. Someone will need to be in the room as well although I'm sure that'll be Sam."

"I'll make the arrangements for a protection detail, Henrietta" said Granger. "We're looking into the attack as we speak. As you know the car has already been brought to the garage and Jones is down there collecting more evidence. We're waiting for the ballistics results from the slugs taken from the car, Callen's phone as well as the one from his leg. We're running facial rec on the footage of the accident but Beale's not hopeful as the quality is poor. He's also running the car they used for the attack through Kaleidoscope to see if we can get any hits on its whereabouts. I'll keep you updated" he added.

"Thank you" said Hetty. "And Owen?" added Hetty.

"Yes Henrietta?"

"Thank you for all you did, for joining me in the search for them and helping me when we did. I admit that I couldn't have done it without you" she said.

Granger sighed. He had known Hetty a long time and knew her to be fiercely independent and capable. Even in this situation he knew how hard it was for her to ask for help or indeed accept it. It was equally difficult for her to express her appreciation to someone who had helped her. In that respect, Hetty and Callen were very much alike. "Henrietta, you're every bit as strong willed as Callen and I knew you'd go with or without me" Granger said. "I had little choice if I wasn't going to lose my best two agents as well as an Operations Manager." He paused. "Besides I may not always have seen eye to eye with Callen but I do like and respect him. I also know what he means to you and how you feel about all those under your care. They are my family as well now."

"Thank you Owen" said Hetty genuinely touched by Granger's words.

"Let me know as soon as you've got the results of the latest scan" Granger said before he disconnected.

A nurse advised Hetty that the scan was scheduled for noon and that an orderly would come to transport the patient when the time came. Hetty thanked her and walked into the room where Callen and Sam were. Hetty walked over to Callen and gently kissed him on the forehead before sitting down. She was exhausted and was extremely worried, not just because of her boy's injuries but the reason for the attack on her two senior agents eluded her. There was just not enough information to process and as they all had made too many enemies over the years, the possibilities were endless. Hetty sighed and removed her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Hetty, what's up?" said Sam but he got no response so he spoke a little louder. "Hetty! Speak to me!" he said.

Shaken out of her reverie, Hetty looked over at Sam and noticed the worry on his face. "I'm sorry Mr Hanna. Did you say something?" she asked.

"Yes, I asked if there was anything wrong. Besides your concern for Callen of course" he said.

Hetty paused before answering. "Yes, there is. Of course I'm worried about Mr Callen's wellbeing as well as yours. I'm concerned about the whole incident that led you to be here. It doesn't make sense because we don't have enough information yet" she said.

"What are they doing back at Ops?" asked Sam.

"Your car's at the garage and Miss Jones is looking for more evidence. They're waiting for the ballistics results and are running facial rec on the traffic cam footage as well as searching for the car on Kaleidoscope. As soon as they discover something, we'll be told" Hetty explained.

"What about our old cases?" asked Sam.

"Where do you suggest we start, Mr Hanna?" said Hetty in a terse voice. "I'm sorry" she said in a softer tone. "I didn't mean to snap but until we have an inkling of who they are, we don't know where to start."

"I'm sorry too, Hetty" said Sam. "I wasn't thinking. I'm worried about Callen and so frustrated that I can't do anything to help."

"I understand how you feel. The best you can do for Mr Callen is to be here with him and offer him support and protection. We don't know which one of you was the target or indeed whether it has anything to do with NCIS at all. If Mr Callen is the target then it could even be a throwback to one of his cases with the CIA or the DEA. It might be in retaliation to one of your missions as a SEAL." Hetty sighed once again. "The attack may be a means to get at someone else or it may be a case of mistaken identity. No, it's best not to speculate until we have some concrete information to go on" she added.

The rest of the morning passed without incident until the porter came to take a still unconscious Callen to have the scan. Hetty walked with them and waited until the procedure was completed and Callen was returned to his room. Sam waited anxiously for Callen's return. He wanted to go with Callen but he was not allowed to leave his bed until he was formally discharged, which would be later on in the day.

Sam was visibly relieved when Callen was wheeled back into the room and Hetty entered. "How did it go? Is there any news?" he asked.

"It was uneventful" said Hetty before adding "Dr White will be here shortly with the results. He hasn't said anything to me."

They did not have to wait very long before Dr White entered the room where Hetty and Sam are talking.

"I have the analysis of the latest scan" announced the Doctor. "Whilst it's not showing the results I would've liked, I can say that the bleed hasn't gotten any worse which is a positive sign. My staff and I will check on him every few hours and I'll get another scan done tomorrow. In the meantime I'll keep him sedated as he doesn't appear to be exhibiting any adverse reaction to it. It'll allow him to rest which in turn will aid his body to recover more quickly."

"Thank you Doctor" said Hetty.

Before he left, the doctor turned to Sam and said "I'll make sure your discharge papers are ready for you this afternoon."

"Thanks doc" said Sam.

Sam was brought lunch by the hospital staff and although it looked unappetising, Sam ate as much as he could. The nursing staff checked on Callen every hour and wrote his stats on the board at the bottom of the bed. At 4.30pm Dr White came into the room with Sam's discharge papers which he signed and handed back.

"You're free to leave although I understand you'll be staying" said Dr White.

"Yes, I can't leave my partner" said Sam earnestly. "He may still be in danger so I'll remain as part of the protection detail" he added.

"We'll be as unobtrusive as possible" said Hetty. "We'll try not to get in the way of your staff but we'll be in a position to protect them as well if needed" added Hetty.

Dr White nodded. "Thanks again Doc for all you've done for me and Callen. It's appreciated" said Sam shaking the doctor's hand.

"I'm just doing my job but you're welcome" answered Dr White. "Mr Callen's still my patient so I'll be around for while" he added. "We'll need the bed elsewhere now you're not a patient, but I'll arrange for a cot to be brought in."

"Thanks Doc" said Sam as he prepared to rid himself of the hospital gown and put on his own clothes.

When Dr White had left, Hetty turned to Sam and said "I'll give you some privacy to change."

Hetty returned when Sam had changed and found him sitting in the chair next to Callen. Taking one look at his long sleeved T-shirt and jeans she said "I would suggest that you go home to your family for tonight and get some rest and some fresh clothes. I'm afraid the ones you're wearing have seen better days."

"I need to be with Callen" said Sam defiantly. "And I got some rest last night. If anyone needs to go home and rest it's you, Hetty. You've been here all night and probably haven't slept at all" he added. When Hetty made to comment Sam said "Look, I'll make a deal with you. If you go home now and get some proper sleep and get someone to stay here with Callen overnight, I'll go home for the night but I'm coming back first thing tomorrow."

Hetty looked at Sam and smiled. "Deal" she said. "However I'll come back this evening to ensure you keep your end of the bargain and I'll stay with Mr Callen" added Hetty.

"Okay" said Sam. "It's settled then." When Hetty hesitated and appeared to be ready to stay, Sam said "Shoo! Off you go, Hetty. You promised!"

"Indeed I did, Mr Hanna. Thank you" she said as she went to Sam and gave him a hug before kissing Callen on the forehead. "Keep him safe, Sam" she added before she turned to leave.

Hetty took a cab home as Granger had brought her to the hospital in a pool car leaving her Jaguar at the Mission where she knew it would be safe. After paying the cab driver, Hetty entered the house and went to the lounge and helped herself to a large whisky. She slumped down in her favourite armchair feeling every bit as exhausted as she no doubt looked. She took out her phone and dialled Granger's number.

"Henrietta is there any news?" he asked recognising her number.

"No good news I'm afraid although it isn't bad either" she answered cryptically. "The result of the scan shows that the haemorrhage hasn't improved but it's not gotten worse, which is a blessing I suppose" she added wearily.

"Well if his condition hasn't deteriorated then that is good news" said Granger trying to be positive. "What does the doctor suggest?" he asked.

"More of the same unless events warrant different action" she answered. "Mr Callen will have another scan tomorrow."

"Let me know the results when you can" said Granger. "You sound exhausted. Are you getting enough rest, Henrietta?"

"Mr Hanna forced me to come home to get some proper rest" answered Hetty. "That's where I am now. I'm going to have a few hours rest before going back to the hospital so that Mr Hanna can go home. It's a deal we made" added Hetty.

"A deal?" asked Granger.

"Yes. Mr Hanna would go home to his family and rest if I did the same. I'll go back later this evening to ensure he keeps up his end of the bargain" said Hetty.

Hetty heard Granger give a little chuckle. "Goodnight Henrietta."

"Goodnight Owen" she said as they disconnected.

Putting the phone down on the coffee table, Hetty took a sip of the whisky and relished the warm sensation as the amber liquid slid down her throat. Nursing the tumbler in her hands, Hetty finally let the tears she had been holding back roll down her cheeks. She cried for Sam and in frustration of not knowing what the attack was about but mostly she wept for her boy, lying seriously injured in a hospital bed. Eventually her tears subsided and she finished her drink. Putting the glass down on the coffee table, Hetty felt the exhaustion swept over her and, not having the strength or the inclination to go upstairs, she tucked her feet under her body and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N:_ _Thanks to all of you who are reading and supporting this story. I apologise for the delay in updating it. Please leave a review – they mean a lot to me. PS remember this story is set before Michelle's untimely death._

Chapter 6

Hetty woke up after only four hours sleep and felt refreshed in spite of her unconventional sleeping position. She uncurled herself from the chair and stretched before she made her way to the kitchen where she made herself something to eat and brewed a pot of tea. Hetty then went upstairs to her bedroom where she selected a fresh set of clothes and laid them out on the bed. Taking a towel she went into her bathroom and took a long shower, relishing in the hot water that flowed over her. Feeling further refreshed, Hetty turned off the water, reached for the towel which she wrapped round her small body and stepped out of the shower. She cleaned her teeth and dried her hair before applying her subtle makeup and went back into the bedroom to change into her clothes.

Not wanting to use another of her cars, Hetty phoned for a cab to take her to the hospital. Hetty alighted from the cab at the front entrance of the hospital and paid the driver before she made her way up to the floor where Callen's room was situated. It was late at night but there were a number of staff going about their duties although they seemed unaware of her arrival. Hetty stood at the door to Callen's room and watched Sam who was seated beside the bed talking to an unconscious Callen, his hand interlaced with that of his partner. Hetty knew from her own experience and from what Sam had divulged on previous occasions that he hoped the physical contact was sufficient to will his partner and friend to fight to live and remain in this world.

She sighed and wondered how much more Callen could take before he finally succumbed to the dangers of their work. He had been seriously hurt on numerous occasions with injuries that few would have survived but somehow her boy always fought back to fight for justice and freedom for another day. Hetty shook her head and refused to allow her thoughts to stray further in that direction for she did not know what she would do if she lost him. She tapped on the door to announce her presence so that Sam was not surprised.

"Good evening Mr Hanna" said Hetty sitting down in the chair next to Sam. "How is he?" she asked gently.

Without looking at her, Sam answered. "There's no change."

"Well I suppose that's good news of sorts" Hetty answered. Sam shot her a look. "His condition hasn't deteriorated, Sam. That **is** a positive sign" she added by way of encouragement.

"I guess so" he said sadly. "I just wish he'd wake up then I can stop worrying" Sam added running his free hand over his face in an attempt to wipe away his tiredness and concern.

"Oh Mr Hanna, I very much doubt you'd stop worrying about Mr Callen even if he did wake up" said Hetty with a small smile on her face.

Sam looked at her and chuckled despite his concern and weariness. "I suppose you're right, Hetty" Sam acknowledged. "I don't think I'll ever stop worrying about him."

"Not just Mr Callen. You worry about everybody on the team" stated Hetty.

"Perhaps" agreed Sam "but especially Callen as he seems to attract danger!"

"Indeed he does" agreed Hetty. "But he's a tough so and so. He'll survive this."

"He'd better" said Sam earnestly. "Or I'm likely to kill him myself!"

Hetty laughed at Sam's black humour and it never ceased to amaze her when her agents spoke in this way. No one who was not in the military or an active field agent in one of the alphabet agencies would understand or appreciate the gallows humour but it always seemed to raise the spirits of everyone that was. "I admit that Mr Callen brings out that tendency in me on occasions" said Hetty.

"And long may he do so" stated Sam. "I don't know what I'd do without him" he added solemnly.

"Indeed" said Hetty and they lapsed into silence each alone with their thoughts of life without Callen in it. After a couple of minutes, Hetty said to Sam "Mr Hanna, I kept my side of the bargain now you need to keep yours."

"I will Hetty" Sam said "but promise me you'll call if there's any change in his condition."

"I promise, Sam. Now go" ordered Hetty.

Sam got up from his chair and bent over Callen and said "I've got to go but I'll be back tomorrow. Hetty's here with you now. Just keep fighting buddy." He squeezed Callen's hand before reluctantly releasing it and laid it gently on the bedcovers. He bent down to hug Hetty and left to go home, calling a cab as he no longer had a viable ride.

At home Michelle waited anxiously for further news. She had, of course, been told about the accident and had been kept informed about Sam's condition. However much her instinct was to rush to the hospital, Michelle was unable to do so because Kamran was at home and needed her mother. Sam had finally got to phone Michelle and told her he was being discharged but that he would be staying with Callen. Michelle was not surprised as she knew how close Callen and her husband were. They risked their lives every day to keep the people of Los Angeles safe and had to trust each completely to have each other's backs. As a CIA agent herself, she was no stranger to the dangers of their line of work and knew from personal experience the special relationship partners had. Therefore Michelle busied herself with normal tasks in a bid to keep herself occupied until such time as Sam contacted her again or he came home.

Michelle heard the key in the door and rushed to greet her husband and they hugged fiercely, reassured that they get to spend more time together and to provide comfort, support and understanding that one of their family was still not out of danger. Michelle broke away from the embrace and held her husband at arm's length. She looked him over and gently ran her hand down the side of his face, looking deep into his eyes. Reassured that Sam was indeed alright, Michelle asked "How's G?"

"He's hanging in there" Sam answered with a hitch to his voice. "He's still unconscious and they're going to do another scan tomorrow to see if the bleed has gotten any better."

"He's tough, Sam" said Michelle. "He'll pull through."

Sam nodded afraid that his voice would fail him. They went into the lounge and sat down on the couch. _Callen's couch_ thought Sam. _Will he ever get to sleep on it again?_ He shook his head as if dispelling the morbid thoughts and finally spoke his head bowed, looking at the floor. "It happened so fast. One minute we're driving along a deserted highway, the next we're being fired at and we crashed, ending up at the bottom of the embankment." He paused and shuddered, thinking about the wreckage of his car. "The car had ended up on its side, pinning the passenger side against the ground. When I came to and saw Callen lying below me, he was so still and pale, I thought he was dead."

Michelle could see how distressed Sam was at the memory and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. She said "You're wearing your seat belts, right?"

"I always do but sometimes G doesn't" Sam said. "Thankfully he was this time. The outcome would've been different." He swallowed hard at the thought and continued. "I spoke his name, quietly at first but then louder until I shouted. Do you know what he said?" Michelle shook her head. "He told me to shut up because he had a headache! Can you believe it?" asked Sam exasperated.

Michelle laughed and it lightened the mood, causing Sam to chuckle as well. "At least you knew he wasn't dead" said Michelle.

"Yeah, I guess" answered Sam "but I needed to find out how badly hurt he was. Anyway to cut a long story short, he'd taken a bullet to the thigh, had a bad gash on his head, probable concussion and a broken arm. I managed to bandage his leg and make a sling for his arm. We got out of the car but I knew he'd never be able to make it up to the road. I didn't know what to do, Michelle" said Sam, his voice and heart breaking at the same time. "Callen was badly hurt and his condition was deteriorating fast so I didn't want to leave him but we had no phones and no way to get help. I felt so helpless."

"The team knew where you were didn't they?" asked Michelle. "Surely they'd be searching for you?"

"They knew where we were going but didn't know which route we'd taken. They'd only miss us when we didn't report in or come back. By then it might well be too late for Callen" he said.

"How were you found?" she asked gently.

"Apparently the Wonder Twins found footage of the incident, traced our last location and Hetty and Granger came out to us. The EMTs arrived not long after they did" Sam concluded.

"Well the good thing is they found you and you were both taken to hospital where you were looked after. You must be okay otherwise you wouldn't be here" she said. "Now I think you should have a shower before going to bed. You're exhausted. Do you want anything to eat?"

Sam shook his head and kissed Michelle before turning to go upstairs.

As Sam walked past the open door of Kamran's bedroom he peeked in on his daughter, pulled the covers over her exposed shoulder and gently kissed her on the head, not waking her. He then went to his bedroom to take his shower. When Michelle went upstairs later on she discovered Sam in bed already fast asleep. Careful not to disturb him she climbed into bed and snuggled up to him, grateful to have him home. Before going to sleep Michelle said a silent prayer for Callen's survival.

Back at the hospital Hetty continued to keep vigil by Callen's beside. Like Sam Hetty held his hand hoping he could feel her presence and be reassured by it. She knew he hated hospitals which stemmed from unhappy memories from his childhood. During the night Callen began to twitch and mutter which aroused Hetty from her light sleep. Unable to determine exactly what Callen is saying, Hetty murmured softly in Russian "Don't worry, I'm here my son. You're safe now." She kept repeating the words until finally he was resting peacefully again. Hetty made a mental note to tell the nursing staff or Dr White of the episode and was pleased when the rest of the night passed uneventfully.

Sam woke up early and grabbed a bite to eat before leaving for the hospital. He was sorry that he left before Kamran got up but it was a school day and she would out all day. Michelle had woken when he got up and she was not surprised that he was leaving so soon.

"Phone me as soon as you've got any news" she said.

"I will I promise" Sam said.

"And Sam?" Michelle said.

"Yeah?" he said turning to face his wife.

"When G wakes up, tell him we're thinking of him and that we love him".

Sam smiled warmly, kissed her and said "I will. Love you."

"Love you too Sam Hanna" answered Michelle as she watched her husband leave.

At the hospital Sam found Hetty dozing in the chair beside Callen, their hands entwined. He entered quietly so as not to disturb either of them and picked up the chart from the bottom of the bed. Sam was relieved to see that his friend's stats had improved somewhat and that the medical staff had not noted anything amiss. As he put it back, he saw Hetty stir.

"Good morning Mr Hanna" she said, stretching.

"I'm sorry, Hetty, I didn't mean to wake you" he said.

"You didn't, not really. I'm a light sleeper and had planned to wake up about this time" she said. Sam eyed her quizzically but did not say anything. "Did you get enough rest Mr Hanna?" asked Hetty.

"Yeah I did. Michelle insisted I have a shower to relax me before going to bed and I was out like a light the minute my head hit the pillow. Don't recall anything until I woke up this morning" he answered.

"Good. You obviously needed the rest. How's Michelle" asked Hetty.

"She's good. She was worried of course and now she knows I'm OK she's more concerned about Callen. She'd like to come in" Sam said.

"You know she can visit anytime" answered Hetty.

"Thanks I'll let her know" said Sam. Nodding towards Callen, Sam asked "How's he doing?"

"He was a little restless during the night but he calmed down when I spoke to him" said Hetty "but otherwise he's much the same."

"I guess he knows we're here for him" said Sam.

"I believe he does" said Hetty. "Now let me go and get us some drinks" she said as she got up from the chair. "Sit down and I'll be back soon."

Sam sat down in the chair that Hetty had just vacated and gently touched Callen's arm. "Hey G, I'm back just like I promised. Hetty stayed with you all night and she's just gone to get some drinks but she'll be back soon. Hetty ordered me home last night and I got to spend some time with Michelle. Kamran was asleep but at least I got to see her. I don't know if you can hear any of this but Michelle sends you her love and wants you to get better. She'll come and visit you soon."

Hetty came back with the drinks and handed Sam his coffee for which he thanked her. "After need to be here when the doctor makes his rounds and then I'll contact the Ops Centre to see if they've got any news" said Hetty.

"Wouldn't they have phoned you if they had?" asked Sam.

"Perhaps but I think they'd probably wait until the morning unless it was extremely important" answered Hetty.

"I wish I could be of more help" said Sam "but it happened so fast and I was more concerned about keeping us alive. I've been thinking about some of our old cases but nothing springs to mind" he added.

"Not to worry" said Hetty. "It may not have anything to do with your cases or even NCIS for that matter. It could possibly be one of Mr Callen's before you two were partners or indeed before he joined NCIS." Hetty paused and thought for a moment before continuing. "I'm hoping that if Miss Jones and Mr Beale get a hit from the image of the passenger that they've managed to get from the traffic cam footage, then it'll all start to fall into place."

"I hope you're right Hetty" said Sam. "I don't like the idea of not knowing where the danger's coming from or that Callen's in no condition to protect himself."

"That's why we must be vigilant Mr Hanna. Until we know for sure the reason for the attack, we're his protection" said Hetty solemnly.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I can't believe how long it's been since I updated this story. I'm so sorry but I've been concentrating on my other stories. I hope some of you are still with me on this one. Please read and review._

Chapter 7

Hetty and Sam sat either side of Callen's bed. Hetty held Callen's left hand whilst Sam had to be content with resting his hand on the bed so as to avoid touching any of his partner's injuries which were mostly on the right side. The breaks to Callen's scapula and clavicle had been set during surgery as they had been displaced and had required metal plates and screws to hold them in the correct position whilst they healed. His forearm was in plaster but everything was supported by a sling, meaning his arm and hand was resting on his chest. Callen was still under light sedation but Hetty and Sam still chatted in soft voices so as not to disturb him.

The doctor came to check on his patient shortly after Sam had arrived. As he approached the room, he could see Hetty and Sam by his patient's bedside and smiled at the affection that was evident. He wished all his patients had people to worry about them but it was not always the case. He tapped lightly on the door to announce his presence before sliding open the door.

"Good morning. How's our patient?" the doctor asked.

"Good morning Doctor" said Hetty and Sam nodded to him in greeting. "Much the same although he was a little restless last night" continued Hetty. The doctor raised his eyebrows and frowned slightly. "He was mumbling in his sleep and had started to twitch but I spoke to him and he calmed down before it got to full blown thrashing around" Hetty explained.

"Hmm" murmured the doctor as he thought about what he had been told. "At least you were able to calm him" he added. "Was it one of his nightmares that his notes mention?"

"I don't think so" said Hetty. "I'm familiar with most of his nightmares but this time his mutterings were indistinct."

"It may be that the sedation is having little effect on him now and he's having flashbacks to the accident or perhaps he's started to react to the medication. I'll examine him and send him for another scan to see if there's any improvement with the bleed. It depends on what the scan reveals but I may increase the sedation slightly tonight to see if that makes a difference. If he still reacts badly to it, I may have to consider changing the medication" explained the doctor.

"Is it necessary to keep him sedated now especially if he's reacting adversely to it?" asked Sam worried what the medication was doing to his friend.

The doctor sighed. "I understand your concern but he's still seriously ill. We're not certain what's going on with the cerebral bleed but we're constantly monitoring it as you're aware. Notwithstanding the bleed, he's still got significant injuries that require rest and time to heal. The best way to assist his recovery is to keep him sedated in order to allow his body to concentrate on healing itself without the added stress of day to day living" explained the Doctor. "I appreciate he's got intolerances with some medications but that's what we're aiming to avoid. I'll hopefully know more once he's had the scan today."

Sam nodded his understanding and gazed at the still form of his friend. Hetty said "Thank you Doctor. Please don't think for a moment that we're questioning your expertise. It's just that Mr Callen is very dear to both of us and we're understandably concerned about him."

"I understand completely and no offence is taken. I'll do all in my power to get him back to you but until I'm certain that sedation is causing him more problems than it's solving, I'll need to keep him medicated" replied the doctor.

Hetty nodded her understanding. "Mr Hanna, let's go and get some fresh air whilst the doctor examines Mr Callen" said Hetty and Sam reluctantly followed her out of the room.

The doctor watched them go. "You're lucky that you've got two people who care for you very much" said the doctor to the still form of his patient as he started his examination.

The doctor noted all the stats on the chart and placed it back on the foot of the bed. "All your stats are showing improvement" the doctor said to Callen. He knew he was under medication but strongly believed that sedated patients were aware to a certain degree of what was said to them. "They're not quite in the normal range yet but they're certainly heading in the right direction. I'll let your friends know and later someone will come for you to take you for a scan."

Outside Hetty and Sam walked in the early sunshine and found a seat and sat down. "I appreciate you're worried about Mr Callen" said Hetty. "I am too but it's only been a couple of days since the accident and he does need to rest. You know if he were awake, he'd be doing everything he could to get out of here regardless of how ill he was." Sam nodded. "He requires enforced rest and expert care so this is where he needs to be at least for a few more days. Until the doctor knows exactly what's going on inside his brain, we have to make that happen even if it means keeping him sedated."

"I know" said Sam sadly "it's just that I hate seeing him suffer from nightmares. I feel so helpless."

Hetty patted his arm and said "I know but if it happens again just talk to him quietly. He normally responds and calms down. Why don't you call Michelle and ask her to come in. You said she'd like to see Mr Callen. Then you can go back and be with your partner. I need to phone OPS."

"Thanks Hetty I will" replied Sam as he took out his phone and pressed the speed dial for his wife's phone. Hetty took out her phone and pressed the button for OPS as she rose and walked away from Sam.

"Hey babe" answered Michelle. "Is anything wrong?" she asked afraid that Sam had bad news about Callen.

"No, Callen's still the same but Hetty suggested I phone and ask you to come and see him" replied Sam. He heard the catch in her voice and knew immediately that she thought he wanted her to come and say goodbye to Callen. "Hey, no, it's nothing like that. His condition's stable but serious but they don't think he's gonna die anytime soon. You told me this morning to give him your love; we thought you could do it yourself."

Michelle let out a sigh of relief. "Don't scare me like that, Sam Hanna" she scolded. "I really thought he'd taken a turn for the worst. Of course I'll come, just give me a while to tidy up and get ready and I'll be there shortly. I love you" Michelle said.

"Love you too. See you soon" replied Sam as he disconnected.

He looked up and saw Hetty pacing up and down talking on the phone and wondered what was being said. He knew she would tell him when she was ready so he went back inside and made his way back to Callen's room. As he approached the room, he noted that the doctor had finished his examination and that Callen was alone. Sam entered the room and looked down at his friend who was still looking pale, emphasised all the more by the discolouration caused by the bruising to the side of his face. Sam picked up the chart and read the latest notes.

"Hmm your stats are improving G" he said aloud. "Looks like you're doing better." He replaced the clip board and sat down in the chair where Hetty had been all night. He took hold of Callen's hand and as a wave of despair suddenly came over him said "C'mon buddy, you gotta keep fighting. I can't lose you. We need you, I need you."

As Michelle came out of the parking area at the hospital, she saw Hetty sitting in the sunshine. "Good morning Hetty" said Michelle as she approached her husband's diminutive boss. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

Surprised out of her reverie Hetty looked up to see Michelle's face showing concern. "Oh, good morning my dear" Hetty said. "Are you here to see Mr Callen?" Michelle nodded. "To answer your question, everything's as well as could be expected. I'm concerned about Mr Callen of course but just a little frustrated that we don't appear to have any concrete leads as to why he and your husband were targeted."

"Surely it's early days in the investigation?" asked Michelle.

"Emm" said Hetty "but you know well enough that as time passes it can become more difficult to obtain leads." Hetty paused before adding. "Never mind the ramblings of an old woman. It is what it is and worrying is not going to change it." Getting to her feet Hetty and linking her arm through Michelle's said "Now let's get you to see Mr Callen."

The two women walked through the hospital and took the elevator to the floor where Callen's private room was located. They paused outside the glass door and watched Sam holding Callen's hand, totally oblivious to their presence. His elbows were resting on the bed and his head was bowed as if in prayer. Hetty sighed sadly and said "He's taking this hard and he blames himself."

"He always does" replied Michelle. "He told me he regretted leaving it so long before going for help. I tried to tell him to remember her was injured as well and it wasn't his fault but those who attacked them but he won't have it."

"I know my dear" said Hetty. "I've tried to reason with him but he's adamant in his belief that he didn't do enough to protect his partner."

"He's so obstinate" said Michelle clearly frustrated with her husband "but I suppose his stubbornness and loyalty is what I love about him. He's fighting for Callen too."

"Yes indeed" agreed Hetty. "However when they're both fit and well, two stubborn agents challenging me at every turn, is something I can do without" added Hetty with a chuckle.

"Now Hetty, you know you secretly relish that challenge" said Michelle smiling down at the older woman. "It keeps you on your toes besides it's one of the qualities that make them great agents."

"You're correct my dear" agreed Hetty. "Neither of them will ever give up in the fight to protect the innocents of this town and country. It's what we all do and what you have done in the past. Do you miss it?"

"Yes and no" said Michelle who was a former CIA agent and had met Sam when they were undercover together. "I made my choice years ago when we had the kids. I'm content to undertake the odd assignment. I may consider going back on active duty once Kamran is away at school. I haven't made up my mind yet nor have I discussed it with Sam."

"Do you think he'd disapprove?" asked Hetty.

"Perhaps but he knows what it means to me" said Michelle. "It was my life before we met and it's still a major part of me."

"There's a lot of truth in the adage 'great agents are born not made" said Hetty. "Why don't you go in to see Mr Callen? You don't want to miss your chance. He's due to have another scan soon."

Michelle nodded and bent down to hug Hetty. "Thank you Hetty. G will get better I know but you don't have to be strong for all us all of the time" said Michelle quietly. Hetty smiled at the sentiment and nodded her understanding as Michelle released her and tapped on the door to announce her presence.

Sam looked up and smiled at his wife as she entered the room. They hugged and spoke a few words before Michelle bent over and kissed Callen lightly on the cheek. She then sat down in the chair that Sam had just vacated. He watched her take hold of Callen's hand and started talking to him. Smiling tenderly he exited the room and joined Hetty outside.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N _: I must apologise for the extreme length of time since I lost updated this story. Unfortunately I've been working on my other stories. However I've recently joined a writers' workshop held locally and my personal task for this month was to write a chapter for one of my stories that had stalled. Here it is so you can thank them for this. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to all of you who are still with me on this particular journey. I appreciate you mean than you can imagine_.

Chapter 8

Michelle sat with Callen gently holding his left hand in hers as she spoke about her days since the accident and what Aiden and Kamran were up to at school. She had, of course, been worried about her husband but since he had come home and she had seen firsthand that he was not seriously injured, her focus turned to Callen who was an important part of the Hanna family. Her kids, especially Kamran, adored him and he and her husband were not just brothers in arms but were as close as any two men could be. They trusted each other with their lives and she and Sam trusted Callen with the lives of their children. Hetty had obviously told her of the injuries sustained by them both but it was still difficult to see her friend lying there unconscious. As a CIA agent herself she knew all too well the dangers of the job and was no stranger to being in hospital or visiting fallen comrades. Michelle had been with Callen for about fifteen minutes when an orderly politely interrupted to take Callen for a scan. Hetty accompanied him leaving Sam and Michelle behind to wait for their return.

Michelle could tell that Sam was deeply concerned for Callen and desperately wanted to be with him. "I'm sure he'll be okay Sam. Hetty's with him and he's getting the best treatment" she said.

"Yeah, Hetty made sure of that" Sam replied. He sighed and ran his hand over his bald head. "I feel so helpless. If I hadn't waited so long…"

"Now stop that Sam Hanna" said Michelle fiercely. "You've no reason to feel guilty. In fact he's probably still alive because of you."

"But…" started Sam.

"Don't you 'but' me. This isn't your fault and I'm sure Callen doesn't blame you either. The guys that shot at you are to blame" she said. She paused before asking "Have you found out who they are?" She was well aware that Eric and Nell were busy scrutinising footage of the incident and using every means available to them to obtain any snippets of information for Kensi and Deeks to follow up.

"Not that I've heard" replied Sam, clearly frustrated and conflicted. He wanted to help track down the perpetrators but needed to stay with his partner. "If we only knew who they were, we'd have an idea who they're after, me or Callen."

"Well if it's Callen, he's got you and Hetty to protect him and I noticed there were agents positioned at the entrances and at strategic places around this floor so you should both be safe" said Michelle.

"Yeah, Granger arranged the security detail" confirmed Sam. "As we don't know why we were attacked, we don't know if they'll try again. Until we do we get the protection detail."

Michelle was still with Sam when Hetty returned with Callen after the scan. As he was settled back into the room, Michelle had an opportunity to watch Hetty and noticed how old she was looking. _This has hit her hard_ thought Michelle, knowing how she felt about Callen as well as the other members of the team. Michelle stepped over to Hetty and gently put her hand on her shoulder in support. Hetty did not look but kept her eyes on Callen as if afraid that if she looked away he would disappear.

"Has the doctor said anything about the scan?" asked Michelle.

"Not as yet. He said he would come by later and let us know" said Hetty. Finally Hetty dragged her eyes away from Callen and turned her head to look at Michelle. Michelle noticed the extreme sadness in Hetty's eyes and the strain etched on her face. "I'm sorry my dear. How are you?" Hetty asked.

"I'm good thanks Hetty" replied Michelle. "Worried about Callen, of course. Now I know Sam's okay I don't have to worry so much about him but I know he's conflicted. He wants to get out and find the guys who did this but he doesn't want to leave Callen."

Hetty nodded her understanding. "Indeed. Rest assured Miss Jones and Mr Beale are doing all they can to gather information. I must admit they are making slow progress unfortunately."

"They'll get a break soon I'm sure" replied Michelle, confident in the abilities of the two techies.

"We can only hope" added Hetty as she turned back to look at Callen.

Hetty, Sam and Michelle settled themselves by Callen's bedside and they did not have too long to wait until the doctor came to update them on the latest scan results. "I'm pleased with his progress" started the Doctor, looking at the expectant faces before him. "The scan shows that the bleed is significantly smaller than before but it's not entirely gone."

Hetty especially was relieved and commented "That is good news. How much longer will you keep him sedated?"

"Probably another day perhaps two" he replied. "He's certainly responding to treatment but I want to give his body as much time as possible to recuperate. I've decided to increase his sedative slightly in an attempt to stop the nightmares enabling him a good night's sleep, which will aid his recovery as well. I'll see how he responds to that and if it's successful then I'll keep him sedated another night before I get another scan."

"Thank you Doctor" said Hetty and they watched him leave to go about his other duties.

"Mr Hanna, you should go home with your wife. I'll stay with Mr Callen tonight" said Hetty.

Sam was about to object but thought better of it when he saw the expressions on the faces of the two formidable women in his life – his wife and his diminutive boss. "Okay but if there's any news, call me" he insisted.

"Of course" said Hetty. Taking Michelle's hands and giving her a quick hug Hetty added "It was good to see you again my dear. Thank you for coming to see Mr Callen."

"He's family Hetty" said Michelle glancing over at the prone figure on the bed. "He's like a brother to me. I wouldn't be anywhere else." Michelle was pleased to see a warm smile cross Hetty's lips.

"Thank you. That's a lovely sentiment and I know Mr Callen is very appreciative of being included in your family" said Hetty. "Do try to get your husband to rest and stop worrying about his partner" she added.

Michelle gave a short laugh and shook her head. "That'll never happen Hetty but I'll try" she replied. "Call us if you need anything otherwise Sam'll be back tomorrow morning. If I can keep him away that long" she added.

Hetty watched Sam and his wife leave before returning to her vigil by Callen's bedside. She fussed over his bed covers and gently ran her hand over his short hair, before sitting down and speaking to him in a soft voice. She was interrupted by her phone vibrating in her pocket. Taking it out she looked at the caller ID. Getting swiftly to her feet, she left the room not wanting the phone to disrupt the equipment or her voice to disturb Callen.

"Miss Jones, please tell me you have some good news."

"Perhaps, we've identified one of the men in the car. He's Eduardo Hernandez but so far he appears clean" replied Nell.

"Cross check the name with all cases handled by Mr Callen and Mr Hanna" ordered Hetty.

"Eric's already on it but so far nothing's come up" she said.

"Very well" said Hetty. "Do you have an address for Eduardo Hernandez?"

"Yes, Kensi and Deeks are on their way there now" replied Nell "and Assistant Director Granger will interview him. He'll head to the boatshed as soon as they pick him up."

"Good work, both of you" said Hetty. "It's not much but it's a start. Please keep me posted."

"Certainly" replied Nell, who paused before continuing. "Hetty, how's Callen doing?" She was already aware that Sam had been discharged but Callen was like a big brother to her and she hated the idea of him being hurt.

"He's doing as well as can be expected" answered Hetty.

"Thank goodness" replied Nell almost under her breath.

Hetty continued. "The bleed on the brain has reduced significantly and the doctor's pleased with his progress, but Mr Callen's being kept sedated for the time being. Are you coming to the hospital to visit?"

"Perhaps when he's awake" replied Nell. "I feel I'd be helping him and Sam best by continuing to search as to how Hernandez is linked to them."

"You're right of course" agreed Hetty.

"But give him my regards when he wakes" added Nell.

"Of course" answered Hetty. "Keep me apprised of any developments" added Hetty before she disconnected the call. Hetty thought about what she had been told. If they could get Hernandez to talk maybe they would finally understand what had provoked the attack or discover a connection between him and her agents. Hetty sighed and went back to sit with Callen. She would just have to be patient but like Sam she was conflicted between staying with her boy and finding out why it happened.

Back at the mission, Granger entered Ops and without preamble asked "Have we heard from Blye and Deeks yet?

"Not yet" replied Nell turning away from the large screen where two blips indicated the location of Kensi and Deeks. "They're just approaching his address now."

"Are they wearing button cams?" Granger asked.

"No" answered Eric "but they're on comms."

At that precise moment Kensi activated her earwig and said "We're at the apartment block and are about to enter."

"Good" said Granger as their images appeared on screen. "Beale's accessed the cameras in the back alley and the apartment block so we'll be able to see what's happening."

"Okay" said Kensi and turning to Deeks she said "Let's go."

They walked into the apartment block and made their way to Hernandez's door. Kensi knocked on the door, calling out Hernandez's name. Not getting an immediate response, she knocked more loudly and shouted "Federal Agents."

They heard some movement from inside and Eric said via their earwigs "Hernandez's heading for the fire escape."

They broke down the door and dashed inside, guns drawn, just in time to see Hernandez disappear out the fire escape. Deeks turned to Kensi and said "Really? Why do they always run? Can you tell me that?" as he prepared to follow the man.

She smiled at him and said "I'll cut him off." As she dashed back out the door she asked Eric "Which way?"

"He turned right at the bottom of the back stairs. Turn left at the end of the block and you should intercept him" advised Eric as Kensi rushed out of the building.

Hernandez was too busy looking over his right shoulder at the rapidly advancing figure of Deeks to notice Kensi until she tackled him to the ground, knocking all the wind out of his body. As she was zip tying Hernandez's wrist behind his back, Deeks caught up blowing hard. He bent down and rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. He looked up and grinned at Kensi "It never pays to run does it Fern?"

"Certainly not in this case" answered Kensi, hoisting Hernandez to his feet. "You got some explaining to do" she added menacingly as she pushed him back in the direction she had come to where the car was parked.

"Good work guys" said Nell over the comms. "Take him to the boatshed. Granger said he'll meet you there."


End file.
